Abu-Siniyeh Ahmed, Al-Shehri Saad S
Department of Laboratories Science, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia.
Appl Biosaf. 2021 Sep;26(Suppl 1):S34-S42. doi: 10.1089/apb.20.0050. Epub 2021 Sep 13.
Several safety-related accidents occur in the laboratories because of insufficient regulations, inappropriate implementation of safety measures, or unawareness attitude and practices toward safety precautions. Thus, establishment of efficient regulations and safe habits toward workplace safety is crucial to prevent or minimize such accidents. Here we investigate the levels of laboratory safety awareness among undergraduate medical science students and laboratory workers at major hospitals in Taif, Saudi Arabia.
An anonymous cross-sectional survey was conducted on a random sample of 185 students and workers. The survey was categorized into five sections: (1) variable demographic items, (2) orientation around the warning signage of medical laboratory picograms, (3) assess participants' attitudes toward laboratory safety, (4) assess participants' safety awareness and practices in medical laboratories, and (5) assess participants' knowledge in dealing with emergency equipment and related procedures.
Data analyses indicate that workers are generally more aware of the key aspects of laboratory safety. Although students demonstrated moderate to good knowledge of major laboratory signage, there are some areas of deficiency, particularly regarding the use of fire extinguishers. Of interest is that female students are more familiar with laboratory signage than male students, although general laboratory safety awareness among students is poor. Students also showed poor awareness of certain critical aspects of safety practices and emergency procedures.
The study data reveal inadequate awareness and knowledge of certain laboratory safety aspects among undergraduate students. Therefore, academic institutions should introduce effective safety regulations, education, and training to improve student safety.
由于规章制度不完善、安全措施执行不当或对安全预防措施缺乏认识和实践，实验室中发生了几起与安全相关的事故。因此，建立有效的规章制度和养成工作场所安全的习惯对于预防或减少此类事故至关重要。在此，我们调查了沙特阿拉伯塔伊夫各大医院本科医学专业学生和实验室工作人员的实验室安全意识水平。
对185名学生和工作人员的随机样本进行了匿名横断面调查。该调查分为五个部分：（1）可变人口统计学项目，（2）围绕医学实验室皮克警告标志的介绍，（3）评估参与者对实验室安全的态度，（4）评估参与者在医学实验室的安全意识和实践，以及（5）评估参与者在处理应急设备和相关程序方面的知识。
数据分析表明工作人员通常更了解实验室安全的关键方面。虽然学生对主要实验室标志表现出中等至良好的了解，但仍存在一些不足之处，特别是在灭火器的使用方面。有趣的是，尽管学生的总体实验室安全意识较差，但女学生比男学生更熟悉实验室标志。学生对安全实践和应急程序的某些关键方面也表现出认识不足。
研究数据显示本科学生对某些实验室安全方面的认识和知识不足。因此，学术机构应引入有效的安全规章制度、教育和培训，以提高学生的安全性。
